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New Zealand vs Pakistan, 1st Test at Christchurch, , Nov 17 2016 - Ball by Ball Commentary

RESULT
1st Test, Christchurch, November 17 - 20, 2016, Pakistan tour of New Zealand
133 & 171
(T:105) 200 & 108/2

New Zealand won by 8 wickets

Player Of The Match
6/41, 29 & 1/23
colin-de-grandhomme
New
NZ 2nd Innings
Full commentary

2.30 pm A terrific Test for New Zealand's debutants. Jeet Raval with the bat and Colin de Grandhomme with the ball. A promising start to the home summer for the hosts. they lead the series 1-0.

Raval leads the players off the field. New Zealand may have found an opener to stick with.

Tim Newton-Howe: "Raval was NZs most successful batsman, but De Grandhomme is easily man of the match - he is why NZ won. He basically set up the first innings lead with his bowling in the first Pakistan innings."

Azhar Ali at the post-match presser for Pakistan. He says Misbah's father in law is not in good health: I think we could have played a bit better in the first innings, on that kind of track if you score a good first innings total, you're always in the game. We take some positives out of the game but there's lot to improve on. We'll regroup, tours away from home is a challenge, we have done it in the past and we have belief we can bounce back.

Kane Williamson: Very good performance, the boys put the recent defeats behind to win a very good Test. I thought it was a good surface, if it went later into today and tomorrow it's a good batting surface. the pitch didn't do a lot yesterday but the boys put it in the right areas. It did a bit in the first innings ... Colin on that surface nipping it both ways was superb ... six-for on debut, he'll never forget. And Jeet Raval, quite high pressure situations for him to walk into and do well ... We'll have to look at the surface in Hamilton and see what's in store.

Colin de Grandhomme is the man of the match: I felt pretty good and confident coming in to the Test match, just tried to take is as another game and that helped. Once I got past the first couple of balls, I felt pretty normal. I felt good [while batting] felt normal. It'll be hard to better this with the ball but with the bat just focus longer and should be fine.

Hah, can't help but admire how no-fuss and no-talk de Grandhomme is. Doesn't say much at all, in that soft, slow drawl of his.

Thank you for all your emails during this Test. Do join us for Hamilton, which begins on November 25. Cheers.

31.3
4
Yasir Shah to Raval, FOUR runs

and there it is! Raval pulls a short ball to the square leg boundary to seal New Zealand's eight-wicket victory. Raval made 55 in the first innings - the top score of the Test - and he's finished on 36 not out in the second. Splendid debut on a testing surface

31.2
Yasir Shah to Raval, no run

defended on the back foot this time, toughest run of the game, this

31.1
Yasir Shah to Raval, no run

defended on the front foot back to the bowler

But it's Henry Nicholls. not Taylor.

Neil: "Raval should be MOTM in my opinion. NZ scored just over 300 runs and he's scored about 90 of them, almost a third of New Zealand's runs."

end of over 31Wicket maiden
NZ: 104/2CRR: 3.35 
Jeet Raval32 (86b 3x4)
Azhar Ali 3-1-6-1
Yasir Shah 9-1-41-0

Colin de Grandhomme anyone?

30.6
W
Azhar Ali to Williamson, OUT

would you believe it, Williamson has fallen! He tried to sweep and got a top edge that went straight to Shafiq at short fine leg. His average drops 0.08 below 50.

Kane Williamson c Sami Aslam b Azhar Ali 61 (77b 4x4 1x6 85m) SR: 79.22
30.5
Azhar Ali to Williamson, no run

worked off the pads to short fine leg, Raval wanted one, williamson did not

30.4
Azhar Ali to Williamson, no run

this is taking an age now! Played back to the bowler

30.3
Azhar Ali to Williamson, no run

leans forward and works the ball to square leg

30.2
Azhar Ali to Williamson, no run

defended back to the bowler

30.1
Azhar Ali to Williamson, no run

pushed off the back foot towards mid-on

end of over 301 run
NZ: 104/1CRR: 3.46 
Jeet Raval32 (86b 3x4)
Kane Williamson61 (71b 4x4 1x6)
Yasir Shah 9-1-41-0
Azhar Ali 2-0-6-0
29.6
Yasir Shah to Raval, no run

beaten on the outside edge, Raval had pushed forward to block

29.5
Yasir Shah to Raval, no run

driven gently to mid on this time, all the fielders are up

29.4
Yasir Shah to Raval, no run

pushed to mid-off on the front foot, he's just having some practice now!

29.3
Yasir Shah to Raval, no run

played back to the bowler watchfully, he's not in a hurry

29.2
Yasir Shah to Raval, no run

strides forward and defends solidly

29.1
1
Yasir Shah to Williamson, 1 run

scores level with that tap to wide mid-on, the debutant has the chance to hit the winning run

end of over 292 runs
NZ: 103/1CRR: 3.55 
Jeet Raval32 (81b 3x4)
Kane Williamson60 (70b 4x4 1x6)
Azhar Ali 2-0-6-0
Yasir Shah 8-1-40-0
28.6
Azhar Ali to Raval, no run

a wide one outside off stump, Raval goes back and does not play a shot, that was a googly

28.5
1
Azhar Ali to Williamson, 1 run

moves back and across to work the ball off the pads, two needed now

28.4
Azhar Ali to Williamson, no run

strides forward this time and defends on the leg side

28.3
Azhar Ali to Williamson, no run

played off the back foot to midwicket

28.2
Azhar Ali to Williamson, no run

goes back and defends with a straight bat

Outside off: "This is all i want from an opener. Solid temperament. Good technique. "

28.1
1
Azhar Ali to Raval, 1 run

goes back and works the ball off the pads through square leg